Chapter 15

 

“Miss Bennet, I hope I am not disturbing your solitary reverie!”

Elizabeth looked at him, disconcerted for a moment but forcing herself to smile politely as she answered. “No indeed, sir. Beside, solitude is hardly the proper word in such animated company.”

He seemed pleased with her reply and cast a quick glance around. “Yes, Netherfield is very animated these days. I confess I was very surprised to see Lady Cassandra and Miss Darcy here.”

She did not answer immediately; the mere mentioning of her friends’ names made her uncomfortable. “Mr. Darcy is a friend of Mr. Bingley and has been a guest at Netherfield previously. So it does not appear surprising to me that Mr. Bingley invited Miss Darcy and Lady Cassandra.”

“Yes, you are correct of course… I was only wondering about their presence while Darcy is in Town. That appears surprising to me. Do you happen to know for how long Darcy will be away?”

”I am afraid I cannot offer you a satisfactory answer,” she said, searching his expression with great interest. “But perhaps Lady Cassandra or Colonel Fitzwilliam could enlighten you.”

Lord Markham’s reaction was evident, yet he replied with apparent calm. “Neither Darcy, Lady Cassandra or Colonel Fitzwilliam are exactly my friends so I doubt they would willingly offer me any information at all. But then again, since you seem to be a close acquaintance, I imagine you know our past dealings.”

“You are giving me too much credit, sir. I know nothing about your past dealings with either the lady or the gentlemen; and, in truth, I do not even feel comfortable speaking of this subject. It is not my custom to invade other parties’ privacy.”

“Then you are not aware that Lady Cassandra was supposed to marry my brother?”

Elizabeth looked at him in utter surprise – not only from the revelation, but from his impropriety in persisting with a matter about which she had just suggested she was uncomfortable.

“No, I am not, sir. And as I said, I would rather not discuss this. I am sure Lady Cassandra herself will tell me anything she would like me to know. As for the rest, I do not require additional details from other sources.” Although her voice was rather harsh, Lord Markham did not appear in the slightest disturbed.

“Oh, but Miss Bennet, you should consider that people like Lady Cassandra are not always inclined to share their affairs with others, especially those whose consequence in life is beneath them. In fact, I cannot help wondering how she came to be on such friendly terms with Bingley and why she accepted the invitation to Netherfield for such an extended period of time.”

[I]The nerve of this man![/I] “Pray tell me, Lord Markham, what do you mean by, [I]‘people like Lady Cassandra?’[/I] You, sir, as the son of an Earl, are certainly one of the people like Lady Cassandra, and you, sir, seem more than willing to share your affairs with me. Not to mention that you accepted the invitation to Netherfield as well and are not even on friendly terms with the master of the house. Then again, being an intimate friend of Miss Bingley, your reason is quite understandable.”

She threw him a short, sharp glance, her eyebrow rising inquiringly. She knew she was being impertinent, and if he felt offended – all the better. Perhaps he would leave her and return to Miss Bingley, who was speaking animatedly in the other corner of the room, apparently oblivious to their conversation.

Rather than leaving, however, a strange, disconcerting smile twisted his lips. “Miss Bennet, you are an astonishing woman! Your wit is a perfect match for your beauty, and it is as much a pleasure to watch you as to talk to you!”

“Thank you, sir. You are too kind,” she replied, equally amused and annoyed.

“No indeed, I am only being honest, Miss Bennet. I am sure you did not fail to notice my admiration for you when we met in town. Since that moment, I have been long wishing to see you again, and the opportunity fortunately arose when I received the invitation to Netherfield. In fact, you are the main reason for my presence here!”

The shock of his words left her speechless; and, for a few moments, she looked at him in disbelief. [I]Surely he cannot mean that! Surely he cannot be serious![/I]

“I thank you, sir,” she said wearily, “but let us not forget you are here at the particular invitation of Miss Bingley! Now if you would excuse me, I should like to speak to my sister. We should leave. It is quite late.”

“Miss Bennet…” She turned toward him; but, to Elizabeth’s relief, Miss Bingley seemed at length to remember her interests and walked in their direction with great determination. Elizabeth smiled at her briefly with cold politeness and then moved past her. She joined her sister’s group and tried listening to the conversation, but her concentration was deeply disturbed. Lady Cassandra, Jane and Bingley were involved in a heated debate about the music and the courses, which would be served at supper. In truth, Lady Cassandra was speaking animatedly, Charles Bingley was agreeing with her, and Jane was only looking lovingly at her betrothed.

A few minutes later, as Bingley spoke with the Colonel, Lady Cassandra approached Elizabeth and whispered, “Miss Bennet, what is the matter? I just saw you talking to Markham and you seem unwell!”

Elizabeth blushed in embarrassment then looked around her, afraid that someone else might hear her. “There is nothing really, your ladyship; no need to distress yourself.”

“Miss Bennet! Everything which involves Markham [I]means[/I] distress, so please indulge me!” Never, not even at the beginning of their acquaintance, had Lady Cassandra spoken with such a demanding tone, and Elizabeth looked at her in surprise and wonder. Her ladyship became conscious of her rudeness and added in a low voice, “Miss Bennet, please accept my apologies. I had no right to address you in such a manner! But believe me, my curiosity has good reason: Markham is not to be trusted; and, for somebody unaware of his true character, he can be dangerous.”

Elizabeth stepped a little further from the group to maintain their privacy. Though still embarrassed, she tried to laugh while answering, “Lady Cassandra, there is no need to apologize. I understand you meant well. Please be assured I have no intention of trusting Lord Markham. You are right; I was distressed because of him. But really – he is more ridiculous than dangerous.”

Lady Cassandra looked at her quizzically, and Elizabeth smiled, mortified. “Oh well – if you like, I will tell you. In fact, I would rather have somebody to tell because it is quite entertaining…”

“Then please, do tell me.” Lady Cassandra’s voice held no trace of amusement.

“Well, it appears Lord Markham was rather enchanted by my [I]charms[/I] when we met in London, and he came here mostly to see me! Can you imagine anything more ridiculous? And he confessed it to me here! Poor Miss Bingley! Though, on the other hand, the situation could be dangerous – I am sure Miss Bingley would kill me if she discovered the truth,” she concluded, awaiting her companion’s laughter.

Lady Cassandra’s frown persisted. “Miss Bennet, did he say anything else?”

“No, he did not! In fact, he had no time, as I walked away from him.”

“Very well; Miss Bennet, you must promise me that, if Lord Markham bothers you again, you will tell the Colonel.”

“Oh, come now, your ladyship must not worry – I am able to take care of myself; after all, I did handle Mr. Collins remarkably well. Nothing can be worse.”

“Mr. Collins?” lady Cassandra asked in surprise and Elizabeth’s cheeks colored.

“I am sorry, I should not speak of that; it was highly improper of me to make fun of it… I…”

“Oh, no – no, no, no! Miss Bennet, you cannot possibly believe I will let you escape so easily. I have heard so much about Mr. Collins that you have to tell me all about the man; I will not have it any other way. Proper or improper – I could not care less!”

And in truth, Elizabeth could do little else but tell Lady Cassandra about her cousin’s proposal. She knew it was not a subject to be discussed, but she did enjoy talking and laughing with Lady Cassandra; besides, her refusal of Mr. Collins was not a secret in the neighborhood as Mrs. Bennet had complained about it for months to anyone who would listen!

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Another hour passed, and Jane did not show any indication of leaving. In the meantime, Elizabeth managed to regain her spirits and was more indulgent of her sister’s delay. It appeared that Jane could not bear to depart from her betrothed, and Elizabeth understood completely.

Miss Bingley showed little civility, continually indicating to the Longbourn guests that they should leave. She mentioned loudly and often that she felt quite tired and was tempted to retire, but she would not leave as long as Lord Markham remained in the salon.

Lord Markham, on the other hand, spent most of his time enjoying Mr. Bingley’s brandy. He tried several times to talk to Elizabeth but with little success. Elizabeth maintained her usual manners and avoided his company. She remained close to Lady Cassandra and her sister – not because she had taken Lady Cassandra’s warning seriously but because she did not want to provoke a scandal. Miss Bingley would surely have become furious if she suspected anyone might interfere between herself and her [I]‘suitor.’[/I]

When Lady Cassandra rejoined Jane and Bingley in their conversation, Elizabeth took the opportunity to slip out of the house into the fresh, cold late September air. It had rained the previous night and the ground was muddy. She laughed to herself, remembering her appearance at Netherfield the previous autumn after walking three miles, and how surprised Darcy had been. Unconsciously her steps took her to the precise place where she met him after climbing the fence and jumping right into a mud puddle. Now she could see clearly – with the eyes of her mind - the expression on his face the moment they faced each other. [I]Poor William; how I shocked him,[/I] she thought, missing him painfully.

The night was overcast and starless, and Elizabeth could barely see where she was walking. She turned to admire the sight of Netherfield and decided to return to the house as the night chill was making her shiver. But she recoiled, her heart pounding, when she noticed the shadow of a man, mere inches away from her.

“Miss Bennet – forgive me for startling you…”

“Lord Markham! Indeed you did startle me, sir. Excuse me, I will return to the house this instant; it is very late and cold.”

“Miss Bennet, please, just a moment… I noticed you avoided me the entire evening, and I cannot bear the thought that you would not speak to me! Have I upset you in any way?”

She hesitated for a moment and then decided to behave normally; after all, he was a man of the world, educated, and could understand reason. This situation had become ridiculous beyond belief.

“Lord Markham, I am not upset with you; I have no reason to be. But you must understand my surprise, sir, when I heard your earlier statement. You are in my soon-to-be brother’s house; he trusts you and treats you with respect. You must know everybody suspects you have an interest in Miss Bingley; and, unless you utterly and publicly contradict that, you are expected to behave accordingly.”

“So, if I declare I have absolutely no design on Miss Bingley, you would accept my attentions?”

“No indeed, I did not say anything of the kind. Sir, we only met once a couple of months ago, and I do not think you can have any more serious design toward me, either. Let us put the matter aside this instant. I shall return to the house now.”

“Miss Bennet, you must allow me to tell you everything I have to say before leaving. I am not the kind of man to be dismissed; and I promise, if you would let me prove my true feelings, you would not remain indifferent to my attentions.” He stepped closer and attempted to take her hand, but she pulled it away violently.

“Lord Markham, I will allow you nothing! I tried to be polite and show you some consideration, but you do not deserve it. Any feelings you might have are not my concern, not now or in the future.”

“Elizabeth, I shall not accept such a reply! I am not accustomed to being refused, and certainly not in such a manner! No other woman, ever…”

"That will make your situation at present more pitiable; but it will have no effect on me. You cannot possibly believe you could improve my impression of you with such a statement."

She turned her back on him and grimaced when he seized her arm painfully.

“Lord Markham, unhand me immediately!”

Instead of complying, he moved in front of her, his free hand trapping her other arm; he was so close that she could feel his breath, reeking of alcohol. She grew angry and, full of rage, tried to set free herself.

“You are a brute, Lord Markham, and I shall have you pay for that! Everyone will find out the kind of man you are, and you will be out of the house this very evening! Let me go this instant!”

“Elizabeth, can you not understand? I care nothing about the others! Have me thrown out of the house if you want, but I will still think of no one but you! Since that night when I danced with you, I have thought of little else but you! You – and that bastard Darcy, never leaving your side! It is he, is it not? He is the reason you are refusing me in such a manner! What did he propose to you? A house in town? An allowance? Are you out of your senses? Can you not see that all he offers you I can give you ten times more? Are you a fool? He is not even here; he did not care about you at all! He never knew how to treat a woman, but I do, I do!!! I will take better care of you, I will! Elizabeth, I cannot let you make such a mistake. I cannot let you choose Darcy instead of me!”

So surprised had Elizabeth been by the attack, so shocked was she that a man of his consequence could behave like a savage, that in the first moments she barely reacted. She hardly listened to him, his words reached her ears but she thought of nothing else except freeing herself from him. She felt no fear – only rage against him and fury against her own lack of strength. She struggled against him but with little success; his grasp became more powerful. She felt as though her waist and arms were breaking under his grip while she violently tried to pull away. He seemed to lose his balance, but her own stability was poor because of the muddy ground.

Elizabeth heard him saying he did not want to hurt her; he only wanted to prove to her how much he desired her. As all her efforts at resistance failed, her anger turned into fear, then panic. She realized it was more then improper; such rude behavior would not listen to reason. She was his prisoner with little chance of escaping. In horror and desperation, she saw his face leaning toward her in an obvious attempt to kiss her, and she felt sick; she turned her head to avoid his mouth and cried with disgust when she felt cold lips touching her cheek. The hand which trapped her arm moved to her shoulder and pulled down the neckline of her dress; as she fought, the move ripped apart the thin fabric.

Trembling with impotence and cringing at his every touch, with all her remaining strength, and determination borne of desperation, she pushed him away with her own body…and she felt free – for a moment. The shock of that forced separation threw her backward and her shoes slipped in the mud; she fell, desperately attempting to grab the fence with one hand. The last image she saw was the moon trying to appear from the clouds. Then a sharp pain shattered her head and threw her into a hole of cold darkness. And she knew nothing else…

As from far, far away, her mind registered somebody calling her name, but she did not answer; she did not even move. She could not move; and she did not want to move. She knew it was him – the same alcohol-drenched smell, the same vicious hands touching her skin – and she could do nothing but pray the earth would swallow her completely.

An eternity later – or was it just a moment –only the darkness and the coldness remained. And a voice – another voice – calling, crying out her name.

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There were many people around her; Elizabeth could hear them. She was no longer on the ground, but on a soft bed with a pillow under her head; the pain at the nape of her neck did not vanish and made it difficult to move her head. She did not wish to talk to or see anybody. Nor did she wish to open her eyes or even to think… She did not want to think of anything. She did not want to feel anything.

Memories invaded her mind and her body shivered in disgust as she remembered the feel of his touch; he had touched her and tried to kiss her… Had he only tried? She knew at some point he was lying on her, his weight and smell still vivid recollections in her mind… But had he…?

“Oh God, no!” she cried. “No, please no!” Unconsciously she began to struggle against him until she felt her hands trapped – and then she fought even harder.

Many moments later, with her hands fixed on the bed by strong fingers, Elizabeth managed to recognize her sister’s voice calling her name. Her movements calmed and she tried to breathe normally and steadily again. Then, with great effort, she slowly opened her eyes. Yes, Jane was there, as well as Lady Cassandra and her maid; they were holding her hands. She looked at each of them briefly – then closed her eyes again. She did not want to see anyone.

“Lizzy, please open your eyes dearest, please,” cried Jane with a tearful voice, but Elizabeth did not obey.

She heard Lady Cassandra saying something – but she did not care enough to try to understand her words. A door opened, closed again, and then silence. Were they all gone? No, they were not – she could feel Jane caressing her hand. She violently pulled her hand from her sister’s grasp, turned her face against the pillow, and started to cry. She wanted neither Jane’s comfort nor her pity.

“Elizabeth, look at me!” Lady Cassandra’s voice was compelling – even harsh – and Elizabeth’s sobs stopped instantly. Strangely, the first thing she noticed was that she had called her [I]“Elizabeth”[/I] instead of [I]“Miss Bennet.” [/I]

Elizabeth did not answer nor open her eyes. The darkness was much easier to bear. As long as it was dark, there was still a chance that everything had been a nightmare and she would wake up in her bed at Longbourn.

She felt Lady Cassandra sit on the bed beside her, trying to make her face them. She resisted – even fought her – and her ladyship abandoned her attempt but remained near her.

“Elizabeth, I know you are frightened and hurt, but you must talk to us.”

No reply.

“Please, Lizzy,” added Jane, “staying like that will do no good! We sent for the doctor; he will be here soon. And we called Papa, too.”

“No,” she almost screamed, “I do not need the doctor; there is nothing a doctor can do for me! And Papa? Why did you call Papa? He cannot see me like this! What about Mama? What did she say? And Mr. and Miss Bingley? And the others?”

“Elizabeth, calm yourself,” said Lady Cassandra softly, touching her hair. Elizabeth startled and pushed her hand away.

“Very well then; as you wish. I shall leave you alone with your sister; perhaps you will talk to her. And I asked the servant to prepare a bath for you and to bring you some tea…”

“Yes, leave.” Elizabeth spoke in a voice she herself could not recognize. “And take Jane with you. I do not want to talk to her! I do not wish to talk to anyone. I do not want to bathe. I do not want tea! I just want to die,” she added, barely audible, and turned her face against the pillow again.

“Oh come now,” replied Lady Cassandra. “Stop this nonsense immediately! I know what you think and how hurt you must feel, but you are a smart woman and…”

“Do not tell me to stop,” cried Elizabeth, tearful and trembling, turning to her and rising from the pillow. “You have no right to tell me what to do! And how dare you say you know how I feel and what I think? How can you know that?”

Jane startled, looking at her sister in shock and then at Lady Cassandra, desperately trying to find a way to counter such a harsh argument. She knew her ladyship would be offended – and in truth she had every reason to be so. However, to her utter shock, Lady Cassandra’s reply was nothing but kindness.

“You may yell at me as much as you want, Elizabeth. Be upset with me, fight with me, call me names if it makes you feel better. And you are right, I have no reason to tell you what to do. However, you are wrong when you presume I do not know how you feel. I remember very vividly the time when I wanted nothing but to die. But you, my dear, have no reason to feel that way. Everything is well now…”

Elizabeth stared at her with her eyes wide open, breathing deeply as the air was not enough.

“Everything is well? How can you say that? It is the worst nightmare! Everything is lost! That man – that man …” She could not continue as she was close to tears. She covered her eyes with her palms and Jane hurried to embrace her warmly.

“I can see you do not desire my presence so I shall leave you now, Elizabeth. Miss Bennet, please call me if you need anything – I shall be in the library with the gentlemen.

She exited the room, carefully closing the door behind her. Elizabeth breathed in relief and shut her eyes again.

“Jane, how did I get here?” she asked a few moments later.

Her sister took her hand and caressed it gently while answering. “Lady Cassandra and the Colonel found you. It appeared that her ladyship followed that man immediately as he left the house. She was the one who discovered you…and then the Colonel appeared and they told us.”

Elizabeth looked at her sister briefly then turned her head in the opposite direction. “You should have taken me home directly, Jane. I am among strangers here; how can I bear the looks of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst? They will be so happy to see us thrown into a new scandal… I have ruined everything for you…with only three days before your engagement ball…” Her voice sounded cold and bitter, bearing so much grief that Jane started to cry.

“Lizzy dearest, how can you say that? You have done nothing wrong; it was not your fault!” As Elizabeth shook her head in disapproval, Jane continued with a determination which defeated her emotions. “As for the scandal, you must not worry… Lady Cassandra has been so wonderful… Oh Lizzy, you have been too harsh on her… She arranged everything. She talked to Charles privately – I did not know what happened – she called for him in the library, then came and told us that Lord Markham had retreated to his rooms, and you were not feeling well, so Charles invited us to stayed for the night. I was surprised at first and I asked about you, and Lady Cassandra accompanied me to you. You were already placed in this room – apparently the Colonel brought you here – so you see…neither Caroline or Mr. Hurst and Louisa truly know what happened.”

“Where is [I]he[/I]?” she asked, afraid to pronounce his loathsome name.

“Lord Markham? He is locked in a guestroom, in the north wing. His servant is with him and two of Charles’s servants are watching the door so he cannot leave. So you do not need to worry about him. He will never harm you again. You see dearest? Everything is settled.”

Elizabeth listened to her sister, both tearful, holding their hands in mutual comfort. As always, Jane was so inclined to believe everything was well…but such a scandal could not be kept secret, she knew that. The servant would talk and, by the next day, they would be the subject of gossip in the entire county.

Elizabeth knew too well that, in situations like that, people would blame her and her behavior at least as much as they would blame Lord Markham. They would say it was her fault for being alone with him, for doing something to encourage him. Their good name would be lost forever, especially after what happened to Lydia only a month earlier.

If only Mr. Bingley would not break his engagement with Jane. As for her own engagement…there was nothing left. The mere thought of William returning and facing her like this... She started crying so violently that she frightened Jane, who desperately attempted to calm her, but with little success. When she had no tears left, she finally spoke, with apparently perfect composure. “Jane, I want to take a bath. I need to clean myself.”

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“Lizzy? My Lizzy has been hurt?” Mr. Bennet stared blankly, incredulously at the two young men gathered in the library. “But how…? Why…? How was that possible …? Who the hell is this man and what does he hold against my daughter? She has done nothing to him!

With much effort the Colonel proceeded to explain to him – with as little detail as possible – what had happened, assuring him that fortunately Lady Cassandra had intervened in time and that Miss Elizabeth was now well and resting. The elder gentleman swallowed instantly a second glass of wine while pacing the room, restless, his agitation growing with every moment.

“Where is he now? I will kill him,” Mr. Bennet finally burst out, throwing the glass in the fire place. Bingley and the Colonel looked at him in shock, incredulous to witness such a reaction from the usually calm gentleman.

“Mr. Bennet, please do not give me more trouble, sir,” said Lady Cassandra, entering the room unannounced. “I barely managed to calm down the Colonel and Bingley here – as both shared the same intentions regarding Markham. I hoped I would be able to count on your support to settle things down before scandal could arise. Your daughters do not need that with only a month before their weddings.”

“I beg your pardon? You want me to help you protect that man’s safety?” shouted Mr. Bennet. A moment later he frowned seeing the bruises on her face and neck. “What on earth happened to you? He hurt you too? And you want to keep us from killing him?”

“Mr. Bennet, I am well. There is no need to worry about me. As for killing Markham – if you want to do that, by all means - please do it! I will surely not stop you, quite the contrary! But you are not the sort of man to simply murder him; we both know that. Neither are the Colonel or Bingley. As for you calling him out, that would be madness, you must admit it. And the scandal would grow even worse.”

“Lady Cassandra, I do appreciate your concern and I understand you are doing everything to the benefit of my daughters. But things cannot be kept under control, no matter what. The scandal will explode, we cannot avoid that. The servants, my daughter’s state and yours, the sudden absence of Markham from the house – all these cannot be hidden or buried. And to all that, just consider what will happen when Darcy finds out. I doubt you will be able to appease him. He would not hesitate a moment to do what is right, and I will surely support his decision.”

“I agree,” said the Colonel and Bingley in unison.

“Oh, you do?” cried Lady Cassandra, her voice so loud and furious that all three gentlemen looked at her in shock. “Indeed, what a lovely, honorable thing! Let Darcy call Markham out and risk his life. Of course, he might be killed – and Elizabeth’s as well as Georgiana’s chances of happiness will be ruined forever – but at least we will all be satisfied to know he has done what any man of honor would do!”

“Lady Cassandra, you are too hasty and too emotional,” said the Colonel, stepping forward to her. “Darcy can defeat Markham any time, with any weapon and on any ground, I assure you…”

“Really? You can assure me! What a relief! And you can also assure me that Markham will be honorable enough to fight properly? That he will respect the rules? And if Darcy kills him, what then? Dueling is illegal; we all know that.”

“Oh, come now… You cannot possibly suggest letting Markham leave unpunished. Most likely Darcy will not kill him, only give him the proper punishment and make sure he will never, ever approach Miss Bennet or any other honorable lady. But you do not know how these things are made, so let us not speak more of that. This is men’s business and there is little for you to do. We had better discuss something else and try to solve what can be solved.”

“You are mistaken, Colonel – I know only too well how these things are made and this is why I will not allow anything of the kind to happen. As for things that can be solved, I have already solved everything. There is a simple way to avoid the scandal falling upon the Bennet family and to prevent Darcy from risking his life to fight against Markham.”

Three pairs of eyes stared at her inquiringly, in utter disbelief. “There is no such way, Lady Cassandra,” replied the Colonel and the others nodded in agreement.

“I beg to differ. There is a way, a perfect way! Markham’s father – the Earl – is visiting a relative; he resides less then twenty miles from here. I have already sent him an express, telling him that his son attacked [B]me[/B] and have asked him to come immediately to remove him.”

“You did what?” cried all three gentlemen.

“Cassandra, that was a most stupid thing to do,” said the Colonel, barely hiding his anger.

“Indeed, you should not have done that, Lady Cassandra, and surely not without asking for our opinion,” intervened Mr. Bennet severely. “Besides, I cannot allow you to take this matter upon yourself; I shall not protect my daughters by exposing you, nor save their reputation by ruining yours. I am sure Lizzy will agree with me.”

“Mr. Bennet, perhaps your daughter will agree with you,” she answered, her eyes daringly confronting them. “But it is already done, and it is done for the better – and it is indeed the best solution. My reputation means little to me and, as I have no family left, nobody will be affected. Furthermore, Mr. Bennet, you do not know that I have a history with the Markhams; any gossip would harm their name more than mine, I assure you this is so. They will be very careful about the rumors. I know how to deal with the Earl and his unworthy son. If the Earl takes Markham from here soon enough, Darcy will have time to calm himself and think properly before making any decisions. I will speak to Elizabeth about that, and I am sure she will see my reasons and eventually accept them.”

“I doubt that very much,” replied Mr. Bennet. “Elizabeth will not allow you to take such a burden upon yourself. And even if we accept your version, Markham himself could easily contradict you; not to mention the fact that the servants will talk and the rumors and gossip will spread in no time.”

“You should trust me more, Mr. Bennet,” she answered with a bitter smile. “I have thought of everything since the very beginning. I have already informed my maid that [B]I[/B] was the one attacked by Markham, and Miss Elizabeth came to my rescue and was injured in the process; I am sure she has already shared this news with the other servants, as I did not ask her to be discreet about it. And by tomorrow night, it is likely all of Meryton will be informed of my version of the incident. As for Markham, he was too inebriated to know what he was doing, so nobody will take his word seriously, at least not in this county.”

Three men watched her, eyes and mouths wide open, as they could barely understand her words.

“You intend to lie to everyone and expect us to support you in concealing the truth,” the Colonel concluded.

“No, I do not expect you to do anything. The truth? What truth, Colonel? What was it exactly that you saw when you arrived?”

He hesitated only a moment. “I saw you fighting with Markham.”

“Precisely. That is the only thing you can testify about, upon your word of honor. But I doubt anybody will actually inquire about or even doubt my word. What reason would a woman like me, with such wealth and position have to lie about such a scandalous thing? Am I not right?”

“I do not know what to say?” whispered Mr. Bennet, looking from one to other. “We should talk to Lizzy and see what she thinks and then wait for Darcy’s arrival. Has Darcy been informed?”

“Yes, I sent him a note,” answered Bingley.

“You sent him a note? When did you do that?” asked Lady Cassandra, obviously surprised and highly displeased. “And what did you write in the note?”

“Immediately after…[I]the incident.[/I] I thought he should know… I wrote him that Lord Markham attempted to attack Elizabeth…” Bingley answered, clearly uneasy in front of Lady Cassandra’s open censure.

“That was a stupid thing to do, Bingley,” she said coldly. “We must hurry. I will go and talk to Elizabeth immediately,” she added while exiting the door.

Three gentlemen remained motionless in the middle of the room – gazing at Lady Cassandra as she left – each of them helplessly and unsuccessfully contemplating what was best to be done.

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Lady Cassandra entered Elizabeth’s room and found only her sister. She cast a quick glance around before looking inquiringly to the obviously distressed elder Miss Bennet.

“Lizzy is still in the bath,” Jane whispered, her eyes tearful. “She has been there since you left; the water must be quite cold by now. I tried to talk to her, but she said she still was not clean enough. She…she kept cleaning herself… She behaves so strangely that I do not know what to do.”

Lady Cassandra took her hand and squeezed it sympathetically. “I shall go and talk to her if you agree?”

Jane nodded silently, looking at her ladyship with much gratitude and hope. Lady Cassandra smiled back at her, reassuringly.

Elizabeth was sitting in the bathtub, her hair down, wet, lying on her back. She did not even turn her head when Lady Cassandra entered. “Jane, I am not ready yet,” she said, continuing to rub her hands against her body, in an obvious gesture of washing herself.

“Yes, you are ready,” Lady Cassandra stated and Elizabeth startled. Her ladyship moved forward, taking a robe from the chair. “You are ready and will get out this instant, Elizabeth. You are cold.”

“No, I am not cold,” Elizabeth answered, with the stubbornness of a child. “And I am not ready yet. I am so dirty… I feel all that mud on me and…”

The tears burst out, rolling down her cheeks, and she whipped them off, furiously, and continued to wash her neck and face. Lady Cassandra kneeled near the tub, indifferent to the fact that she was getting herself wet, too. She took Elizabeth’s hands, stopping their violent movement, and cupped Elizabeth’s cheeks with her palms, forcing Elizabeth to look at her.

“Elizabeth, you must get out of the water and then we must talk. You must trust me; all will be fine!”

Elizabeth continued to cry silently, her eyes – pained and vacant, utterly devoid of their usual liveliness – stared at Lady Cassandra.

“You are calling me [I]Elizabeth,[/I]” she said softly.

“I am? Yes, I suppose I am,” her ladyship admitted, slightly uneasy. “I apologize.”

“No, no – there is no need. In fact, I have long wanted you to address me by my given name, but you never did; perhaps you never considered me worthy of your friendship. Now, it is obvious that you do it for compassion; your pity is stronger than any social correctness,” Elizabeth replied bitterly, her face solemn.

“Oh, come now, Elizabeth, do not say that. I…I do not know why I did not call you by your given name sooner…but you know too well my opinion of you, and you know that I consider you one of the best ladies I have ever known. But for heaven’s sake, let us not have this conversation here. Come, let me help you out of the tub.”

As Elizabeth still did not move, Lady Cassandra took her arms firmly. “Elizabeth, I will give you one more minute; then, if you do not remove yourself, I will call the servants to pull you out of that bath. I am not joking; you know this to be true.”

“You have no right to order me like this,” Elizabeth replied, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Where friends are concerned, I care little about rights or wrongs; if I am worried about a friend, I do everything I consider proper. So – shall I call the servants? Or perhaps your father, who is downstairs?”

Elizabeth startled violently; then, after only a few moments of hesitation, she reached her hand to take the robe and covered herself in it while stepping out of the tub. She almost lost her balance and was about to fall when Lady Cassandra hurried to support her. She accepted the help and, together, they entered the bedroom where a pale and tearful Jane gasped in relief at their appearance.

A few minutes later, dressed in another dry robe and covered in the bed sheets, Elizabeth sat in the middle of the bed, leaning against pillows. Her colorless face and her eyes kept staring toward a blank point, somewhere on the opposite wall. Neither Lady Cassandra nor Jane spoke, both in silence patiently waiting on either side of Elizabeth, exchanging quick glances with each other.

“Elizabeth…” whispered Jane after an interval of unbearable silence.

“I feel nothing,” Elizabeth said, her voice hardly audible. “Not even shame – only dirty and angry. I thought… I thought there would be [I]pain…and blood[/I]… But there was nothing…”

Jane gasped and turned pale, whispering, “Oh Lizzy…”

Lady Cassandra stared at her wonderingly, searching for the meaning of her words. “Oh, my dear!” she burst out a few moments later. “You think [I]that[/I]? You believe that Markham took advantage of you?”

Both Elizabeth and Jane looked at her strangely. Elizabeth’s shocked expression confirmed that she was indeed correct in her assumption. Lady Cassandra immediately continued, smiling sadly at her. “My dear, what you are afraid of did not happen! There is nothing for you to [I]feel[/I] because nothing [I]happened[/I]! Elizabeth, I cannot say how sorry I am that you had to go through that nightmare, but fortunately it was stopped in time… [I]It[/I] did not happen,” her ladyship continued.

Elizabeth stopped breathing, her eyes searching Lady Cassandra incredulously while her heart pounded with desperate hopes and a fear of disappointment. “Lady Cassandra, what do you mean? I know that…I can remember that something happened… He touched me and he tried to kiss me…and then I fell and I felt him upon me and…”

“My dear, please calm yourself. I left the house only a few minutes after Markham, but unfortunately it took me some time to find you… I saw you fighting with him and then you fell… Less then a minute later, I was there…”

“But…” Elizabeth’s face regained some of its color; she released herself from Jane’s embrace and moved out of the bed. She felt dizzy as she stood and leaned slightly, almost falling. Her sister grabbed her arm to support her. “Lizzy, please stay in bed…” But Elizabeth did not even hear her.

“Lady Cassandra, but… how can you be certain that…? Where is my dress? I know my dress was ripped off…”

“I am certain; trust me, my dear…” Lady Cassandra looked at Elizabeth’s confused, tearful, pained expression, and then at Jane – who seemed as tormented as her sister. Lady Cassandra sighed then finally burst out. “Oh, dear. How can I explain this? It requires some amount of time to…[I]accomplish[/I] that activity, much more than those few seconds it took me to reach you… Besides…he was [I]fully dressed[/I]…if you understand my meaning…”

Lady Cassandra tried to keep her tone light, even amused, in an attempt at subduing Elizabeth’s distress now that the truth turned out not to be so dreadful as she thought. She hoped her assurance would calm Elizabeth to some degree – and apparently she succeeded. To her utter surprise, Elizabeth’s eyes remained fixed upon her, inquiringly, still obviously distrustful, and then suddenly Elizabeth started laughing, loudly, nervously, covering her face with her palms – then her peals of laughter turned into painful sobs which shattered her entire body.

They allowed her time to cry – a relieving, liberating cry – and Jane’s tears joined those of her sister. Lady Cassandra tried to keep her composure while watching the two sisters.

Suddenly, Elizabeth’s sobs stopped and she turned toward Lady Cassandra. “You saved me,” she said. Then, as if seeing her for the first time that evening, she touched her ladyship’s cheek with one finger.

“And you have been hurt because of me… Your face is bruised…”

“Oh, that? Well, he was stronger then I imagined when I tried to take him off you…” But do not worry; it is just a scratch…nothing serious. You should see his face – the Colonel actually broke it,” she added with forced laughter.

“You have been hurt because of me… You exposed yourself because of me, risking your own safety,” Elizabeth continued with no little emotion.

“No, Elizabeth, that is not true…[I]You[/I] have been hurt because of me. I should have taken better care of you. I should have warned you more seriously about Markham.”

Elizabeth shook her head in disapproval. “You have done everything to indicate the danger, but I did not take your warning seriously enough. I should have been more prudent. My impertinence exposed my family to such a scandal again. And only three days before your engagement ball, Jane. I am so sorry!”

“Lizzy, how can you apologize? You have done nothing wrong; it was not your fault. I certainly do not care about the ball, and neither does Mr. Bingley, I assure you!”

“Mr. Bingley?! Jane, does he know what has happened? What did he say? Oh, of course he knows, I am in his house after all… I cannot think rationally, I only…”

“Elizabeth, let us talk calmly for a few minutes, shall we?” said Lady Cassandra, resuming her place on the bed near Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, would you please bring Elizabeth a glass of water?” She was giving them orders but neither Jane nor Elizabeth felt like contradicting her. They both needed her to tell them what to do.

“Very well then…now, Elizabeth – my dear, there is no scandal at all. Only the Colonel and Mr. Bingley are aware of what happened. The Colonel…well, he followed me when I exited the house and made a timely and fortunate appearance while I was fighting with Markham. He settled the problem immediately, and Markham was silenced. Then we needed Mr. Bingley’s assistance, so we informed him and your sister. Your father is here too, and the Colonel explained everything to him. And there is something I need to talk to you about, immediately, so we can settle this thing for good. I really hope you will use your good judgment and your sense to support me in this.”

“What about William?” she whispered, unable to look at Lady Cassandra and not really hearing her previous words.

Lady Cassandra hesitated only a moment. “Well, Bingley informed him – and I am afraid he did not accomplish that task in the best way possible. In truth, Darcy is precisely the reason I want to talk to you about this, if you feel strong enough to bear a difficult conversation.”

“Of course, Lady Cassandra,” Elizabeth answered, her eyes still downcast. “I can tolerate everything if it is about William. But do you think he will come? And if he does… I do not think I will be able to bear the expression on his face… What if he…?”

“Elizabeth!” Lady Cassandra cried, with a severe voice. “Please listen to me – Darcy will come, sooner than you think. And the only one who can put this horrible incident behind us is you! Now, here is what I have done and what I need your help for… And, by the way, from now on – no more of this [I]Lady Cassandra[/I], if you please! I can predict we will have a long and difficult argument this evening, and it will be much comfortable to call each other by our given names while fighting.”

[center][b]***[/b][/center]

Darcy had compelled his mount to a gallop since the first moment he touched the saddle, and his only coherent thought was that he was moving too slowly – unbearably, painfully slowly. The servant needed three hours to reach his house with the express from Bingley, and Darcy needed a quarter of an hour after he read it to be ready and up on his horse, rushing to Netherfield – rushing to her.

First, he was certain Bingley had somehow mixed things up in a deplorable manner. He said Elizabeth had been attacked by Markham – but that was the most ridiculous thing ever; how could Markham be in Hertfordshire? Of course, he could not ask the servant for details, so all he could do was leave within a few minutes to discover the truth for himself. The only thing that mattered, the only thing he prayed for while careening through fields in the middle of the night, was the hope he would arrive in time, but fearing the worst.

While galloping wildly, Elizabeth’s pained eyes, her fears, her sadness and the desperation in her kiss when they parted invaded his mind vividly, and he hated himself for leaving her. She was afraid of something that evening and he was so insensible and inconsiderate that he dismissed her fears lightly. He was not there when she needed him; he was not there to protect her. He hated himself as much as he loved her. The night was dark, so very dark, with no moon, no stars – nobody to witness his tears, tears of anger and helpless despair.

[center][b] ~/~/~/~ [/b][/center]

They were talking for a long time, neither of them willing to accept the other’s justification. Lady Cassandra tried to impose her version on a stunned Elizabeth, who instantly rejected the idea of allowing her ladyship to take the blame upon herself.

Jane was a silent, tormented witness, unable to intervene as she could not decide whose side she should take. She could see the wisdom in Lady Cassandra’s plan, and she could understand her sister’s reason for not accepting that generous offer of saving their family by a scandal involving Lady Cassandra instead. For the first time in her life, Jane Bennet felt she hated – with all her heart – a man, the man who had done so much harm to her beloved sister.

“Elizabeth, you must trust me in this: everything will be much easier this way. And besides – you have not many choices in this. What do you propose to do? Tell everybody that I lied and that, in fact, Markham had attacked [I]you[/I]? You are a smart woman; you can easily imagine what kind of speculations and gossip this revelation will arise. Things will only turn worse, and the damage will affect both your family and me. What will be the use of it?”

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, enough for Lady Cassandra to feel she had gained the advantage. “Moreover, there is something you have not been told: almost the same thing happened to me fours years ago. Lord Markham’s eldest son forced me into a compromising situation during a ball and we were caught; afterwards, they insisted I must marry him; and, when I refused, they spread all kinds of rumors about me around the Town. Back then the scandal did affect me,” she admitted, with a light tone, which tried to prove those memories did not affect her any longer. However, her pale face and the expression of deepest distress did not go unnoticed by either Elizabeth or Jane.

“Lord Markham has another son?”

“He had… That son passed away two years ago.”

“That was the reason you left town?” Elizabeth whispered, unsure of how Lady Cassandra would react to such a daring question.

“Yes, partially...I was very young then; and, since I have spent all my life away from London, I was not accustomed to such shameless schemes. I confess that, in the beginning, when I first met young Lord Markham, I enjoyed his company very much. I was even flattered that he had been courting me. Then he became quite insistent in his courtship and I withdrew to the point where I did not accept his calls. And then, at the first ball when we happened to be together, he pretended he wanted to talk to me and apologize. We were not in a secluded place, there were people around us, but he felt no remorse in kissing me right there. You can imagine what followed.”

Jane gasped in shock while Elizabeth looked at her incredulous. “And did not William…or the Colonel do anything? I mean…”

“Yes, I know what you mean and no, they did not do anything because I did not allow them. The Colonel was not in town at that time and Darcy… His father had just passed away the year before, and he had all those responsibilities on his shoulders, including Georgiana, Pemberley and, partially, my estate. You can imagine I could not allow him to confront Lord Markham – a scoundrel with no other worries except how to spend what money had been left from his inheritance, which I suspect was not much. So I told Darcy that I willingly allowed him to kiss me, but I did not want to marry him as I did not think he was the honorable man which I thought he was. And Darcy accepted my explanation; furthermore he proposed to me that we should marry to put all the gossip aside.”

Elizabeth could not help blushing and averting her eyes while her heart ached at the mere idea of Darcy proposing to another woman, no matter the circumstances. A few moments later she regained her calm enough to continue.

“So you lied – twice – on Markham’s behalf,” she said with a lower voice.

“Not on his behalf, I assure you. If I could, I would have…” Lady Cassandra stopped instantly and hurried toward the window, the expression of grief so powerful that it darkened her face.

Elizabeth moved to her, gently touching her shoulder in a comforting gesture. She was highly distressed by what Lady Cassandra had revealed to them and even more so by what she suspected remained [I]untold[/I]; obviously there was much more to the story, something which affected Lady Cassandra deeper than she was willing to admit.

“I am sorry, Elizabeth, I let myself get carried away. Do not worry. Now, I can handle Lord Markham much better then I did four years ago. I wish you would allow me…”

“Cassandra, I…”

A tentative knock on the door interrupted their argument; at Elizabeth’s request, Lady Cassandra’s maid entered, stepping toward her mistress.

“Your ladyship asked to be informed as soon as the Earl arrived. He just arrived a few minutes ago.”

All three ladies startled and cast quick glances at each other. Lady Cassandra thanked her maid and dismissed her then she quickly arranged her appearance in the mirror.

“I will go downstairs,” she announced decidedly and, without allowing any time for opposition, left the room.

[center][b]***[/b][/center]

Netherfield library had never been heated by so much tension; Bingley thought it was ready to erupt any moment. Here they were – his future father-in-law, pale and obviously full of rage; the Colonel, who seemed a storm ready to blow up everything in his way; and the Earl with his son, both of them wearing a self-sufficient expression and looking around with the highest disdain and no little anger.

“My son has been treated in the worse manner possible, and somebody will pay for this. His face has been hurt, he has been beaten and he has been locked away in a room…”

“Your son has not been beaten, Lord Markham,” the Colonel interrupted, anger bursting out with his each word, stepping forward to them. Instantly, the young Markham moved a step backward. “If he had been beaten he would have looked much worse, I assure you.”

“This is scandalous, Colonel. I will not accept…”

“You will not accept what, Lord Markham?” The men turned to the door in utter surprise, to face Lady Cassandra; her green eyes lay daringly, challengingly, dominatingly, upon the two Markhams. “What will you not accept? The fact that you have raised two sons who proved to be two of the most unworthy of men?”

“Lady Cassandra, I will not admit…”

“You are in no position to admit anything, sir! I have made you a great favor by informing you of the incident so you had enough time to remove your spoiled brat from here while you still have time. You should be grateful to me for that!”

“You have no right and no reason to insult me and my sons! My eldest son, God rest him in peace, had nothing but the most honorable intentions toward you, and you refused him with no consideration.”

“Your son had the most honorable intentions toward my money, as you well know, Lord Markham. But let us not talk about him. You should better pray as much as you can that God will forgive him for everything he did in this world and will finally allow him to rest in peace…some day.” Her voice was so full of emotion that she could neither control her expressions or her words. The Colonel moved closer to her and held her arm but she pulled herself away from him.

“How dare you talk about my son in such a manner? You are nothing but…”

“Lord Markham!” Mr. Bennet’s voice – powerful and admitting no contradiction – silenced the entire room for a moment. “I am not accustomed to the proper etiquette for your social class; but, if you dare say another word against Lady Cassandra, I shall ask my future son-in-law to have you both thrown out of the house this instant. You should have enough shame to leave with no other arguments; that is the least you can do.”

“Mr. Bennet, I understand your protective attitude, but you do not know all the facts,” replied Lord Markham with an unexpectedly calm tone. “And you do not know that Lady Cassandra is trying to deceive you all; my son just told me he did not attack her, as she pretended, but he tried to talk to your daughter, Miss Elizabeth, when an accident occurred and this entire misunderstanding happened.”

“Lord Markham, I know everything I have to know; I am afraid you are the one who have been deceived, by your own son. What happened tonight between your son and a [I]certain lady[/I] was by no means an accident, of that I can assure you. As Lady Cassandra suggested, you had better remove your son from this house, before somebody gives him the punishment he deserves.”

“Mr. Bennet, you must listen to me,” intervened the young Markham. “I did not attack Lady Cassandra, she was not even there. I started talking to Miss Bennet and wanted to reveal my admiration for her when she accidentally fell. I…tried to help her recover but Lady Cassandra arrived and things were grossly misinterpreted. But I am ready to pay for my mistake by agreeing to marry your daughter. I know she has not much dowry and I am aware she is not what my family expected from my wife, but I am sure my father will not oppose the union.” He gave everyone a most satisfying look while waiting for Mr. Bennet’s acceptance. “That will settle everything most conveniently.”

“You agree to marry her?” replied a stunned Mr. Bennet.

“I do, sir.”

“But she is engaged to Darcy,” cried Bingley then he stopped and all the blood drained from his face, shocked by his own outburst.

“She is engaged to Darcy?” repeated both Markhams, visibly stunned by that revelation.

Lady Cassandra and the Colonel exchanged a quick glance but had no time to intervene before Mr. Bennet continued.

“So you agree to marry my daughter… How kind of you! Though I do not remember anybody asking you to do that! Are you out of your senses, young man? Earl or no earl, can you really believe that my daughter would agree to marry you? Or that I would give you my consent?”

Suddenly, the young Markham’s attitude turned more daring and he replied with an impertinence which turned Mr. Bennet red with anger. “Well, it is not a matter of consent after all, Mr. Bennet. Like it or not, after the words about this incident reach your neighbors, your daughter will have little choice but to accept me. Your youngest daughter has just eloped so scandalously with Wickham, am I right? The rumors about your second daughter’s improper behavior of being alone in the dark with a man would ruin your family forever, we all know that.”

None of them noticed the library door open or the entrance of Elizabeth into the room until she was halfway toward them. Bingley was the first who hurried to offer her his arm, as she looked pale and obviously unwell. Mr. Bennet followed him and took her other arm while she stepped forward to the group gathered in the room.

“Elizabeth, you should have remained in bed,” said Lady Cassandra with no little worry, moving to her side. In the full light, Elizabeth seemed even more pale and weak than she had appeared earlier in the bedchamber.

“Good, you are here!” said the young Markham with no trace of distress in his voice. “You are an honorable woman, Elizabeth, and I am sure you will not lie. Tell them the truth; tell them I did not attack Lady Cassandra, as she pretended. Tell them you were with me in the garden earlier.”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him intensely; before entering the library, she had dreaded the idea of seeing him again; but, with the protection of the others nearby, her fears proved unjustified. She felt nothing but rage and repulsion against the man who almost ruined her life. She stepped closer to him, never averting her eyes from his.

“Do not dare to call me [I]Elizabeth[/I] ever again, sir,” she said icily. “And do not ever expect me to contradict Lady Cassandra, whatever she might have said; she has my full trust and support.”

“Miss Bennet,” intervened the Earl with a politeness that surprised Elizabeth. “My son said everything had been an accident; he said he only tried to talk to you… He even offered to marry you. You must see he is an honorable man.”

“An accident, sir?” Elizabeth interrupted him with no little anger. “My dress was ripped off and my head wounded so badly that I lay unconscious for a long while. Lady Cassandra’s face is bruised; anybody can see that. How can all that be an accident, sir? And I would rather die this instant than marry your [I]honorable son![/I]”

“It was her fault that she interfered,” said Markham, pointing to her ladyship with anger. “But I see that you feel daring and protected by your connection with her, Elizabeth! You imagine you may offend me and refuse my generous offer with such impertinence! You feel certain of your future because of your engagement to Darcy. But you must know he will not want you now, not after what happened between the two of us. You will beg me to marry you when the ruin falls upon you all,” he continued, his voice turning louder and more furious with every word.

Elizabeth took a few more steps to cover the distance between them, then she swiftly lifted her hand and slapped him with all the power released from the suffering, from the anger, from the fears and from the repulsion he aroused in her.

“I warned you not to call me Elizabeth again!”

He staggered, losing his balance from the surprise and strength of her gesture, then immediately grabbed her hand forcefully. Instantly, the Colonel and Bingley were near them to protect Elizabeth, but it was a voice from the door which turned Markham to stone.

“If you dare to even breathe in her direction, I shall rip you apart, Markham.”

Darcy’s appearance was a shock to everyone. Tormented, with his clothes in disarray, his hair unruly and his face grimy after the frantic ride from London, his countenance held an expression of untamed rage. Markham withdrew his hand from Elizabeth and slithered closer to his father; Lady Cassandra and the Colonel glanced at each other, silently sharing their worry of what might ensue; Mr. Bennet and Bingley simply sighed in relief.

Elizabeth turned her gaze to him, trembling from the emotions, fearful of what she would see in his eyes, afraid that her knees would not support her any longer.

Darcy walked toward her, suddenly oblivious to everyone else in the room. Until a few moments ago he had been petrified by the fear of what had happened to her; then, when he saw her in the middle of the room slapping Markham and then Markham grabbing her hand, Darcy knew he needed little incentive to kill the man instantly.

But now, all he saw, all that mattered to him, more important than his own life was Elizabeth – pale, tearful, barely standing – looking at him with the same eyes which had tormented his every moment since he left a week earlier. He strode quickly to her and, oblivious to those in the room, took her in his arms. Their eyes locked for only a moment, but they said all that was needed. She encircled his neck with tentative arms and pressed her head against his shoulder.

He cast a short, meaningful glance toward Mr. Bennet then, without the slightest consideration for the others, Darcy left the room, bearing a sweet and precious burden in his arms.